GrrlScientist: Not just another pretty face, Martyn Poliakoff has been awarded a bachelor knighthood by the Queen for his chemistry research at the University of Nottingham, his public service with the Royal Society, and for his pioneering public outreach through YouTube videos.

GrrlScientist: Today, I share a list of what I consider to be the best popular physical sciences books of the year, hoping that you’ll find lots of interesting and unusual ideas for all the maths-astro-physics-chemistry buffs on your holiday gift-giving list!

GrrlScientist: Our teen-aged hero, Itch, is back. This, the third book in a mystery-thriller trilogy, follows Itch’s continuing adventures as he and his friends try to outwit criminal masterminds who are desperately seeking radioactive chemical element 126 -- an element that still lurks out there. Somewhere.